1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a combined can opener for separating a lid from a can and for tear-opening a can.
2. Description of Prior Art
For years the applicant has successfully produced and marketed can openers for opening conventional cans. With many conventional systems the can lid is cut through along an inner edge and separated from a lateral wall of the can. Since the separated part of the lid is sharp-edged and may cause injury, in the last years so-called safety can openers have been introduced which cut through the can lid along an outer edge. The connection between the can wall and the lid is released without sharp edges remaining on the lid to be removed or on the can edge. Because the cutting wheel does not contact the can contents the cutting mechanics of the opener are not dirtied and the can contents are protected from contamination from the cutting mechanics.
Such safety can openers are for example known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,594 and German Patent Reference 298 02 030. For both cutting principles, pincer models as well as one-armed models are known.
In order to open cans without a can opener, the packaging industry offers cans wherein the lid is released, by a pull or tear-open ring, from the can along a peripheral break-off line. Such tear-open cans are more complicated to manufacture and thus more expensive than conventional cans. The break-off lines create tight manufacturing tolerances and are thus more susceptible to erroneous functions.
If for example a material thickness along the break-off line is too great, then opening requires the application of a considerable pulling force. Older or weaker persons opening such a can causes particular problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,018,409 discloses an opener for tear-open cans. On the front end of this opener on an upper side there is a recess which defines a lug for suspending the tear-open ring. The rear part of the flat opener is formed parabolically and blends into a narrower grip part. For opening a tear-open can, the ring attached on the lid at the edge is lifted up and at the same time the break-off line directly in front of the ring is broken through, in the known manner. Now the ring is suspended into the recess on the front end of the opener and by pressure on the grip part while exploiting the lever arm, the can lid is released from the can. The opener at the same time with its parabolic back is rolled over the can lid and simultaneously the lid region which carries the tear-open ring is lifted and pulled upwards and to the rear. The opener which, for example, may be punched from one piece of sheet metal is relatively narrow. The contact surface of the opener back on the can lid is therefore small and on account of this on opening a can of the opener may easily slip.
A further opener for tear-open cans is disclosed in the U.S. Design Pat. No. D 267,925. This opener is manufactured from a flat piece of sheet metal. It has a hook-like end for opening the tear-open can as well as an opposite end for opening bottles with crown tops. The very narrow opener can easily slip when being used.
If the two previously mentioned conventional openers are for opening larger cans then the conventional openers are designed correspondingly large, which makes them unwieldy and bulky.
Both of the previously mentioned conventional openers do not open conventional cans.
One object of this invention is to make available a space-saving can opener which permits all commercially available cans to be opened securely and comfortably and which does not have the previously mentioned disadvantages.
These objects are achieved by a device according to the features and embodiments described in the specification and in the claims.
The can opener according to this invention can open common types of can packagings otherwise opened with only a single apparatus and is ergonomic and has a functionally advantageous shape that offers comfort and safety. Furthermore, the opener according to this, invention can be stored in a space-saving manner.